PSA in talks to acquire Opal

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Re: PSA in talks to acquire Opal

Post by Mandrake »

NewcastleFalcon wrote:Haven't quite got the facts or evidence at my fingertips, just a feeling that the "deal" has more than a whiff of desperation about it on both sides, and the "fine print" reveals more than the headline. GM have for a considerable price, managed to unload a long standing headache, and all PSA have "bought" is a guaranteed headache.

There may be some logic that escapes me, which may be one of the reasons I am not a board member at PSA.
I think you are right on the money there.

When I read that PSA were going through with the acquisition I just shook my head in confusion and disbelief. I think that says it all really. [-X :lol:

What happens to the Opel Ampera E then ? As this is the EU version of the Chevy Bolt, which is in reality a GM car does that mean that PSA now have the rights to produce the Ampera E, or is the Ampera E release this June now cancelled ?
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Re: PSA in talks to acquire Opal

Post by van ordinaire »

But GM have always been incestuous what with UK Plymouths badged as Dodges (no, that might've been t'other way about), Canadian Pontiacs that were really Chevies, Chevies that were actually Vauxhalls, VX's (& Pontiacs) that were Holdens, Holdens that were VX's &, in truth, there haven't been any Opels for years, only Opel badged VX's!

How long do I give VX in PSA's careful stewardship? Well there wasn't much of the old Rootes marques/Simca/Talbot by the time Chrysler was fobbed off on Mercedes!
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Re: PSA in talks to acquire Opal

Post by mickeymoon »

van ordinaire wrote:But GM have always been incestuous what with UK Plymouths badged as Dodges (no, that might've been t'other way about), Canadian Pontiacs that were really Chevies, Chevies that were actually Vauxhalls, VX's (& Pontiacs) that were Holdens, Holdens that were VX's &, in truth, there haven't been any Opels for years, only Opel badged VX's!
Surely you mean VX badged Opels? My Meriva was made in Spain, and it's called an Opel everywhere else. I'm not aware of VX owning any manufacturing facilities in Spain..
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Re: PSA in talks to acquire Opal

Post by mickeymoon »

Stickyfinger wrote: Opegeot
Sounds like something you'd put on what American Forces radio in Greece used to call "a social disease" as in "If you have contracted a social disease, contact your MO..."
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Re: PSA in talks to acquire Opal

Post by van ordinaire »

mickeymoon wrote:
van ordinaire wrote:But GM have always been incestuous what with UK Plymouths badged as Dodges (no, that might've been t'other way about), Canadian Pontiacs that were really Chevies, Chevies that were actually Vauxhalls, VX's (& Pontiacs) that were Holdens, Holdens that were VX's &, in truth, there haven't been any Opels for years, only Opel badged VX's!
Surely you mean VX badged Opels? My Meriva was made in Spain, and it's called an Opel everywhere else. I'm not aware of VX owning any manufacturing facilities in Spain..


My point was that there was a time when they made different, Germany but increasingly similar, models but round about the Kadet became an Astra (or was it a Nova? - not to be confused with the original Chevy Nova, of course) there were no more Opels, just VX designs built by, & badged as, Opels. Not quite as simple as that as there were VX's bult in Belgium, Opels made here, UK spec Opels from Germany & the cars for places like S. Africa (I think) where both marques were available. I don't suppose the current cars are really either, just manifestations of a GM world car, badged according to where they were to be sold, regardless of where they were built.
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Re: RE: Re: PSA in talks to acquire Opal

Post by mickeymoon »

van ordinaire wrote:
mickeymoon wrote:
van ordinaire wrote:But GM have always been incestuous what with UK Plymouths badged as Dodges (no, that might've been t'other way about), Canadian Pontiacs that were really Chevies, Chevies that were actually Vauxhalls, VX's (& Pontiacs) that were Holdens, Holdens that were VX's &, in truth, there haven't been any Opels for years, only Opel badged VX's!
Surely you mean VX badged Opels? My Meriva was made in Spain, and it's called an Opel everywhere else. I'm not aware of VX owning any manufacturing facilities in Spain..


My point was that there was a time when they made different, Germany but increasingly similar, models but round about the Kadet became an Astra (or was it a Nova? - not to be confused with the original Chevy Nova, of course)
Oddly, a Chevy Nova, the original one, was the first thing I ever drove on a public road. One with a tuned big-block V8, chromed, a proper "hot rod"... 2 cherry bombs exiting under the feet, massive rear tyres...

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Re: PSA in talks to acquire Opal

Post by elma »

I find this hard to say as I totally despise all Vauxhalls (and Fords) but Vauxhalls petrol engines could be really beneficial to PSA. Equally the vauxhalls could really benefit from the HDI as their diesels seem quite poor to me.

Having done work upgrading the assembly line at the Vivaro factory I can very honestly say that if that place is reflective of Vauxhall as a whole PSA would've been better off buying ice cream.
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Re: PSA in talks to acquire Opal

Post by mickeymoon »

Vauxhalls are a weird one. I sold my 2004 Berlingo HDi to a friend recently as I had the opportunity to buy a 10 plate Meriva, in really good nick with low miles, very cheaply. I went to Spain in the Meriva, did nearly 3000 miles in 8 days in it. I can't fault it. It cruised happily and smoothly at 90mph + , dragged us up through the mountains through Andorra, kept us cool down in Valencia..nipped through midnight Paris traffic for an impromptu tour on the way back to Dieppe...everything. I had no aches and pains, and it averaged 38mpg which I didn't think bad considering I absolutely thrashed it through France each way.

I've swapped it back for the Berlingo.

Why? It's just so tedious. It does nothing brilliantly and nothing badly. It's just... boring. Even my mate who now has it instead of the Berlingo, who is a big VX fan - he owns a 3 litre 24v Carlton estate amongst other things, told me this morning that even though the Meriva is rattle free, super clean, and essentially drives like a new car, it's so boring and he'd prefer the Berlingo. He's not having it though as he plans on selling whatever car he has in the next few months anyway once his Carlton is back on the road.




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Re: PSA in talks to acquire Opal

Post by elma »

I have to slightly take back what I said about despising all Vauxhalls. The Carlton, the Senator, the GTE and a few choice others are very nice cars. How they evolved into what they are today is very sad.
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Re: PSA in talks to acquire Opal

Post by CitroJim »

Mickey, I had a Chavalier back in the day... Just like your Meriva... Couldn't fault it as a family car but oh gosh, just so bland and boring...

It was almost Japanese in that respect and they used to have the monopoly on blandness... It had Japanese reliability too...
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Re: PSA in talks to acquire Opal

Post by white exec »

I had two Cavaliers for work. Lovely Aisin auto box on the second one, accompanied by a gas-leaking AC which VX workshops could never fix - gas could last a couple of days or a few weeks - despite tracers and endless parts replacement. "They just do that...". Competent cars, but mind-numbingly boring.

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Re: PSA in talks to acquire Opal

Post by Stickyfinger »

I have had 4 Poxalls.

1. Astra, rolled that on ice when it was 3 weeks old, they put a new body on it :) . BORING to a level unknown to man.
2. 8v 2ltr Calibra...cool car but disappointingly slow
3. v4 Turbo 4x4 Calibra, fantastic but delicate. VERY fast car
4. V.6 Calibra, BORING bloody thing but the girlie loved it, big flat spots, slow (ish), understeered like a drunk pig on a polished floor. (Activa is miles ahead)
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Re: PSA in talks to acquire Opal

Post by mickeymoon »

Stickyfinger wrote: 4. V.6 Calibra, BORING bloody thing but the girlie loved it, big flat spots, slow (ish), understeered like a drunk pig on a polished floor. (Activa is miles ahead)
Possibly the most disappointing car I've ever driven! My boss had one when I worked for Hoechst. I was only 25 or so, and he entrusted it to me to go up to the site in MK from Denham in.

I expected a leather-seated rocketship, it looked so cool. Sadly, it was a slightly quicker, flatter Cavalier. Nice enough but it was all fur coat and no knickers performance wise.

Thing is... I'd probably quite like one now as I loved the look of the thing and I no longer need to drive like a tit.
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Re: PSA in talks to acquire Opal

Post by Peter.N. »

The Velox's and Cresta's were nice, especially the PA and PC but the E models were pretty fast for their time and they had brilliant heaters.

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Re: PSA in talks to acquire Opal

Post by van ordinaire »

Ah, happy carefree days of youth, cruising around in a friend's Viscount [shame it never got the small block Chevy, like Opal had for the Diplomat (& Holden, for - the Firenza!)] - but, just as it replaced an HB Viva (his 1st car, think it might've been his mother's) it gave way to a Chevelle.
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& the numerous "abandoned projects" #-o
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